ITV viewers were left frustrated during the network's coverage of the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, as a persistent technical glitch marred the opening segments. The beeping noise overshadowed Conan O'Brien's pre-recorded sequence and his live opening monologue, making it difficult for audiences to hear his jokes.
Fans took to social media to complain, with one writing: 'What in the beep is going on at the ITV Oscars live stream?' Another added: 'Can ITV fix the sound wtf.' The issue appeared to be resolved by the time the first award was presented, but not before drawing widespread criticism.
Jonathan Ross, who hosted ITV's coverage from London alongside Elle Osili-Wood, Samson Kayo, and Fred Asquith, also faced backlash for his apparent mispronunciation of several stars' names. One viewer asked: 'Is Jonathan Ross intentionally pronouncing everyone’s name strangely?' Another proposed a drinking game based on his errors.
Ross was also heard muttering an expletive under his breath after mistakenly mixing up Javier Bardem and Benicio del Toro during a discussion of Bardem's political statement onstage. The gaffe added to a night of technical and presentational issues for the broadcaster.
